ap psych neurotransmitters and hormones

dopamine (“DO + Pleasure!”)

neurotransmitter that has to do with reward/motivation, movement, schizophrenia, and parkinson’s disease

serotonin (“Serotonin keeps me serene”)

neurotransmitter that has to do with mood, sleep, and appetite

norepinephrine (“NORE gives you MORE awareness”)

neurotransmitter that has to do with alertness, arousal, and attention

glutamate (Glutamate glues memories together)

neurotransmitter that has to do with learning, memory, and excitation (major excitatory neurotransmitter)

GABA (GABA puts the brakes on my brain)

neurotransmitter has to do with inhibiting neutral anxiety, and reduces anxiety

endorphins (Endorphins END pain)

neurotransmitter that has to with pain relief and pleasure / euphoria (runner’s high)

substance P (Substance P = sends pain)

neurotransmitter that has to do with sending pain / pain transmission

acetylcholine (ACh helps me ACT and THINK)

neurotransmitter that has to do with learning, memory, attention, arousal, and muscle movement

adrenaline (Adrenal sounds ALARM!)

hormone that has to do with fight-or-fight response, raises heart rate and blood sugar, and made by the adrenal gland

leptin (“Leptin: I’m full, I left it”)

hormone made by fat cells, tells hypothalamus, “i’m full”, lowers appetite, and opposite of ghrelin

ghrelin (“Ghrelin growls: GO eat!”)

hormone released by an empty stomach, tells hypothalamus, “i’m hungry”, increases appetite, and rises before a meal

melatonin (“Melatonin makes me mellow”)

hormone made by the pineal gland, controls sleep-wake cycle, and rises in dark but drops in light

oxycontin (“Oxycontin ties us together”)

hormone that has to do with bonding and attachment, trust and social connection, childbirth and breastfeeding, and is released by the pituitary gland

hormone vs. neurotransmitter

hormone is slow, released by endocrine system, slower, and goes into bloodstream, and last longer; neurotransmitter is fast, released by nervous system, faster, lasts briefly, and travels in synapse